1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing apparatus in which a selected developer container of the desired color is detachably mounted and to such a detachable developer container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the conventional image formation systems such as electrophotographic systems, electrostatic recording systems and others, it is usual that the development apparatus utilizes a black-colored developer. Recently, it has been broadly required to form an image using variously colored developers other than the black-colored developer, singly or in combination. For this purpose, a plurality of developing devices containing developers of different colors are provided, each of which is mountable into the image formation system to obtain an image of the desired image color. Or, the developing devices are selectively mounted in the same image formation system to form a superposed image in any desired color.
Where the developer is a developing device has been substantially fully consumed, the developing device must be resupplied with developer. In the prior art, the re-supply of the developer was carried out by inserting a cartridge-style developer container into the development device. If a plurality of containers containing differently colored developers are used, however, it is probable that the developing device will at some time be loaded with the wrong developer container, that is, the container having a different color developer, so that an image in an unwanted color will be formed. In addition, the original and re-supplied developers will be mixed with each other, which requires disassembling and cleaning the whole development system in order to use the same again in good order. The prior art developing systems have no means for overcoming such a problem.